Fourth Sunday of Advent, and Christmas Novena, Day 5

The fourth and final part of advent begins today. 

When I have observed advent well, I find that I am now mostly prepared for Christmas - my house is fairly clean, shopping is almost finished, and the cupboards are filled with yummy food. I need to complete only a few finishing touches. Even so, I find myself fretting over details!

This is a good day to take a deep breath and go back to the source, back to the Spirit that brings me to this place of light and grace; back to living in Spirit, being Spirit. I remember then that happiness comes in calm simplicity, and awareness in the moment. I experience Spirit through my breath, and with each sensation, sight, sound, smell, and taste. I only need to be fully awake to the ordinary miracle of Being, and keep my focus on the Spirit of Love that guides me.

Today is the fifth day of the Christmas Novena, a Catholic ritual of a prayer recited or sung during the nine days leading up to Christmas Day.

Agenda:
1. Winter Awareness Walk
2. Advent wreath ceremony
3. Plan ways to give attention to Light and Love
4. Read the Christmas Novena, day 5

5. Horn Blowing

1. Winter Awareness Walk:

The simple fact of Being, along with a feeling of love, defines my essential self. I am sometimes distracted by searching for meaning and purpose, collecting experiences, relationships, and knowledge, and I forget to enjoy the being of now! 

When I relax and allow myself to appreciate the mystery and feel the wonders of the season, an awareness of the harmony of life emerges, and an amazing quality of aliveness; everything is in its place - just so. 

This week I plan to enjoy an Awareness Walk practice each morning, for the purpose of being present to the winter and to Spirit:

1. Physical Awareness: Begin my walk, and concentrate on my feet as they touch the ground, the feel of my muscles, my breathing, my surroundings, the rain and wind, the sky. "Thank you for this amazing body and beautiful world to walk in!" Continue this for 1-2 blocks. 

2. Heart Awareness: Turn a corner, and focus on my tender heart. Feel it soften and open. Send loving thoughts to my neighbors as I walk by their homes, to my family, to my community, to the world. "Thank you for the love that flows in and out." Continue this for 1-2 blocks. 

3. Mindfulness: Turn another corner, and pay attention to my thoughts. Open my mind to the ambiguity of the moment, the season, and my life. "Thank you for a sharp mind and for my inner guide." Continue this for 1-2 blocks. 

4. Spiritual Awareness: Turn the last corner, and (holding on to the awareness I've raised) speak a prayer out loud as I’m moving; feel the power and energy move through me. Say “Spirit of the Universe, I am open and awake to whatever comes into my life today. Guide my feet and my heart, and give me Light on my path.”

2. Advent wreath ceremony:

Tonight (and every night this week through Christmas day) we will light four advent candles, and recite four prayers:

"We light the first candle for the earth, which sustains us. May we cherish and care for it."

"We light the second candle for all the people of the world. May we find unity and peace."

"We light the third candle for our family and the joy and love we bring each other."

"We light the fourth candle for the Spirit of God in each of us, which is our guiding light."

3. Plan ways to give attention to Love and Light:

This week of advent my focus is the Guiding Light of God. My image of God is a Spirit of Love and Light that lives in all people. I try to live always awake and listening for the message of love, but I often get distracted. I want to have a more effectual connection to the Spirit, and so this week I'll practice and improve my mindfulness habits.

Things to do this week to give attention to the Spirit of God:

• Each morning as I wake, pause to take a slow breath, and center on the Light within. Stay in this gentle meditation as I get dressed and move through my morning.
• Light a candle, and sit every morning for a few minutes of silence, simply feeling a presence of Love.
• Start a new prayer journal: Write my prayers of gratitude, dreams and desires I want to hold up for Spirit, and people to hold in the Light. 
• Practice my Awareness Walk, and send prayers to my loved ones, and all the people of the world.
• Start an Inner Guide trance practice, to access new insights.
• Light all the candles at night to remind me that the Spirit of God is our guiding Light.

Seneca said: “You are a fragment of God; ... Will you not bear in mind, whenever you eat, who you are that eat, and whom you are nourishing? ... Whenever you mix in society, whenever you take physical exercise, whenever you converse, do you not know that you are nourishing God, exercising God?” 

4. Read the Christmas Novena, day 5:

Read this prayer from the Worldssps (Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit):

In Communion with Prisoners

God with us, Emmanuel, we bring to you all who are imprisoned in one way or another;  Let them experience your love through the human care and respect they receive.

Let them take responsibility for the hurts they caused and find healing from the hurts they suffered;  Let them find support through friends who don‘t give up on them and experience reconciliation in broken relationships.

Let them (us) find through you the strength to be freed from all that binds us.

Father of Mercy, the secrets of all hearts are known to you alone. You know who is just and you forgive the unjust. You alone are the Almighty Judge. We are not worthy of judging anyone. Your mercy is enough for sinners. Hear our prayers for those in prison. Give them repentance and let them believe in you. Give them patience and hope in their sufferings, and bring them home again soon. Comfort their near and dear ones. Let them trust in Jesus Christ and live with hope. Amen.

5. Horn Blowing:
I've been researching my roots from the Netherlands, and one Christmas custom from Dutch farmers in the rural east is the mid-winter horn blowing. This traditionally begins on the fourth Sunday of Advent and continues until Epiphany.

Farmers blow these long wooden horns made from elder trees everyday at dawn, while standing over a well, to announce Jesus' birth... but of course it has a longer history before Christianity.

Mid-winter horn blowing dates back to 1500 BCE. It's a Germanic custom, celebrating the dark times of winter, and the solstice when Light begins to return. The horns were thought to scare away evil spirits in the countryside, threatening to steal the earth's light for eternity.

Dutch horn-blowers perform in call and response, from farm to farm, conversing through the horns. They can be heard for up to 3 miles away!